Turn Off Those Electronic Devices
In a 2014 survey of American families, 89 percent of adults and 75 percent of children have at least one electronic device, such as a television, computer, tablet or smartphone, in their bedrooms. In fact, Pew research revealed that fully two-thirds of adults and a whopping 90 percent of 18- to 29-year olds take their smartphones to bed. All this is bad news for those who advocate for a healthy bedroom environment. There are several reasons why you would want to turn off those devices an hour or so before you plan on sleeping.
The light emitted by these devices can play a powerful role in regulating your body’s day and night rhythms. "Even a small amount of brightness can be strong enough to enter your retina when your eyes are closed," says Amy Wolfson, Ph.D., author of The Woman's Book of Sleep: A Complete Resource Guide. "At night, it sends a signal to your brain that upsets your internal clock and makes you feel awake.”
Electronic gadgets emit blue light, which is known to trigger arousal in the brain. Blue light affects people by suppressing the amount of melatonin available to the brain and body. An increase in melatonin typically results in increased drowsiness. So a decrease usually means that one can spend more time awake, have difficulty in sleeping and experience much-delayed drowsiness.
Americans watch about 35 hours of television a week. As a parent, are you concerned about how many hours your children spend watching TV? You should be. Studies have shown that kids with TVs in their bedrooms score lower on school tests and report more problems sleeping. Insufficient sleep has been linked to impaired cognition and learning and impaired decision-making and memory. So, perhaps as the best example of a parent, get rid of your television and encourage your kids to do the same. It’s only fair.